We always love it when Drew Altizer sends over his latest A-list pictures for us to peruse! Here's a memento of Drew's trip up to the North Bay last week, to San Anselmo to see Robin Wright Penn at the launch of the EcoMom Alliance, about encouraging mothers to take social action. (More pictures from the event here.) Thanks for sending the picture along, Drew! We don't suppose you found out one way or......

Hey, remember angry Sarah Nome, the lady who refused to move out of the Kaiser hospital in Marin for over a year, and ran up a $1.4 million bill? Well, Kaiser's 1) gotten ownership of her house in San Anselmo and 2) will be auctioning it off to pay off her tab. Kaiser was awarded the house after Nome was put in the care of the state (after her daughter refused to take her in),......

As discussed in the SFist Contributes tips page, what people heard in Ingleside Heights early yesterday morning was a mysterious car explosion. Witnesses saw a man park a car, get out of the car and into someone else's, and then the parked car burst into flames. Around 7:00 a.m, another car mysteriously exploded, this time in the Tenderloin at Ellis and Taylor. The two incidents aren't thought to be related -- but how weird. Gimmi......

More mysterious criminal events in Fremont! This time, someone dropped a five-foot tall safe off a truck in the middle of the road. The safe had been pried open, revealing...... a collection of about 70 Star Wars action figures, still in their original packaging. Somewhere, a broken-hearted fan weeps. The yutz alert is on high after the horrific Virginia Tech tragedy: the UC Berkeley law student who posted a fake threat on a blog that......

This would have been even more awesome if it had been on top of a moving train. The police in Berkeley used a hook-and-ladder truck to conduct a manhunt on Telegraph Avenue rooftops after the robbery of a Noah's Bagels at around 6 a.m. Monday morning. After what was described as a tense "building-by-building, rooftop-by-rooftop search," the man was located on top of a building and arrested without further incident. Ah, the Stanford police blotter,......

We were searching for the perfect romantic spot for Valentine's Day, a restaurant where we could eat extravagantly without paying through the snout, a dinner where we could indulge our twin loves -- for our sweetheart, and for pork. Oakland's B Restaurant (or just "B," apparently), promised to be such a place. Since the establishment's doors opened across its refurbished 120-year-old mosaic tile floor in 2005, reviewers have unanimously noted the New American-style restaurant's inventiveness, use of fresh local organic ingredients, occasional odd substitutions on plates -- made without comment, and UNANIMOUSLY praised one dish: The Duroc Pork Chop....

Hey everyone, in the midst of all this Ruby Rippey-Tourk madness, guess who showed up for a photo session and interview with the Chron? That's right -- Peter Ragone's best friend and your correspondent's biggest fan, John Nelson! We always love to meet our readers! It's all somewhat anticlimactic, as Ragone's already admitted he posted all the comments listed under his IP address under John's name (and -- c'mon, we've got bigger fish to fry......

A missing Savannah cat named Mondo has been returned home to San Anselmo after going missing for a three weeks. A Savannah cat is a cross between a regular domestic cat and the African serval, and the people who found Mondo thought he was either a baby mountain lion or some kind of cheetah or bobcat. Savannahs have long legs and friendly demeanors, and are considered very high-energy. Mondo also has very "chatty meows." [our......

Less than an hour north of the City, a lonely wedge of land juts out into the teeth of the Pacific swell. Almost completely separated from the Marin mainland by the grinding force of the San Andreas Fault (SAF), the Point Reyes Peninsula is a focal point for all kinds of natural forces.

You know how GoldenPalace.com is buying everything weird for publicity? Like the grilled cheese sandwich with the Virgin Mary on it, or hiring streakers? (Their list of auctions is some pretty entertaining reading.) Well, they were stymied in their attempt to purchase Jerry Garcia's toilet -- after paying $2550 for the pink-colored throne, it was stolen, along with three other toilets and a bidet, from the current owner's driveway. Golden Palace is offering a $5000 reward for its return. Wonder if Golden Palace staged this whole thing? In San Anselmo, a 16-year-old is so upset about the theft of her bichon frise that her parents have allowed her to stay home from school today. She and her mother were at the DMV applying for her learners' permit, and they'd left the bichon in the car for about 20 minutes. When they came back, someone had opened the door to their Saab (whose locks were broken) and taken the dog. They paid $850 for the dog, which was a present for the daughter's 14th birthday. He's white with brown markings around the eyes, and answers to Napoleon -- if you see him, call the CHP at 415-924-1100 or page Mom at 415-258-5080. And yipes! A car chase that began on 18th and Mission last night raced onto the highway and culminated in a dramatic crash on Treasure Island. The driver repeatedly rammed his car into the cop cars, injuring two officers. Officers then fired at the car, injuring two riders. A third passenger was injured in one of the ramming incidents. ...

Last week's winner, the East Bay Express: They didn't make the drop at our usual pick-up spot today, so we're stuck with the web version (which is always so much less satisfying). Bottom Feeder addresses SFist Jon's concerns about Pombo's vulnerability and the Shirek post office! Maybe SFist Jon should also start looking into the Alameda County supervisors' race, which is Bottom Feeder's third topic. Vote no on 80! Like we have any idea what any of these propositions even are yet! (80 = power plants). Don Perata's private investigator. Oakland's favorite Idol, LaToya. And getting baked at the Chabot Center planetarium (the music of Moby is featured). The SF Weekly: Hee hee! PUNI says Google buys SF! And renames Gavin G-New! Hee! And MUNI's renamed G-Cruiser! Hee hee! A totally fascinating story about this attorney who busts cults, grew up in a upper-crust family with a closeted father, and annoys San Anselmo residents with his large left-wing signs. Movie critic doesn't like 24 Hours on Craigslist. Make it stop, we can't bear the Meredith Brody. Soup in Noe Valley. Clap Your Hands Say Pitchfork. Cover article: hip-hop blogs. And -- yoikes -- check out Savage Love's collection of letters about the man who thinks he might have been raped. The Guardian and the pick of the week after the jump! (Sorry, we had Metro distribution problems again.)...

Bay Area crime roundup...

SFist is not personally a car owner, but our frequent companion is. We can't tell you the number of times we've driven from our home in the Sunset to the cheap gas station on Divis and Fell (you know the one we're talking about), only to discover that their price was no better than the prices in the rest of the city. And prices all over the city are terrible. It's become such a......